Sustainable Practices

The Office of Sustainable Practices was established to promote a culture of environmental stewardship through action-based programs to conserve Tennessee’s natural resources. We work with a variety of stakeholders including state agencies, local governments, businesses and communities, to support sustainable community and economic development goals. Additionally, the Office of Sustainable Practices has teamed up with divisions in each of our department’s bureaus- Administration, Environment, and Parks and Conservation, to get additional stakeholder support and expertise. With our large group of public and private partners we can work together to secure a sustainable future for Tennesseans.

Our programs are designed to reduce pollution and save money through resource conservation, renewable energy incentives, recycling and repurposing programs, sustainable building design, environmental leadership initiatives, and sustainable purchasing. These programs help to ensure that present and future generations will have the natural resources, economic integrity, and public health benefits necessary to fulfill Tennessee’s social, environmental and economic requirements.

TDEC’s Office of Sustainable Practices is organized to support initiatives through the following programs:

A Certified Green Energy Production Facility is a facility certified by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) as producing electricity for use and consumption off the premises using clean energy technology. Clean energy technology is technology used to generate electricity from renewable energy sources such as: geothermal, hydrogen, solar and wind sources.

The Tennessee Green Star Partnership (TGSP) is TDEC’s environmental leadership program that seeks to recognize organizations that are committed to sustainable practices and continuous improvement throughout their entire operation.

As leaders, our mission is to develop a sustainable culture throughout State Government. We will model this culture in TDEC and assist state agencies in implementing best practices that improve efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and contribute to fiscally-sound government. Action-based approaches will focus on travel, building and purchasing.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) operates a statewide indoor Radon Program as part of the Office of Sustainable Practices. We offer a myriad of services and assistance: test kits for homeowners, technical information for universities, and specific materials for targeted audiences such as real estate professionals, home builders, building codes officials, home inspectors, and school officials.

Since we are just gaining a more complete understanding of the effect of PPCPs on waterbodies and most PPCPs cannot be removed by current water treatment technologies, it is a prudent to take steps that limit unnecessary entry of PPCPs into our nation’s rivers, lakes and streams.

Clean Tennessee Energy Program provides grants to government agencies (state, local) utility districts, and private businesses/organizations in Tennessee to purchase, install, and construct energy projects that result in a reduction of emissions and pollutants and fit into one of the following eligible project categories below.